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2 NERCC Escapees Caught, 1 Sought

Tyler Scot Sandstrom, who escaped from the Northeast Regional Corrections Center on Thursday, had not been located as of Monday afternoon.

Anthony Lewis Kozar was arrested Sunday evening after a standoff in Eveleth.

Ryan Adam Locke was arrested early Saturday morning after a police chase.

Authorities have captured two men who escaped the Northeast Minnesota Regional Corrections Center last week but continue to search for one additional escapee.

News of the escape was first revealed by the Eveleth Police Department on Monday. 23-year-old Tyler Scot Sandstrom, 25-year-old Anthony Lewis Kozar, and 24-year-old Ryan Adam Locke escaped on Thursday. Sandstrom and Kozar were being held on alleged probation violations, while Locke was serving time on a terroristic threat conviction.

Locke was arrested early Saturday morning after a police chase in a stolen vehicle down U.S. Highway 53 from Eveleth to Hermantown.

Kozar was arrested Sunday evening after a standoff in Eveleth. Koivunen said Kozar fled into a residence after being seen by a police officer. He was eventually arrested without incident, but holed up for about five hours. Some neighbors were alarmed by the scene.

"It was a serious real life episode of Cops," neighbor Jessica Currie said. "They started going over the megaphone, 'you need to come out and put your hands up'."

Currie lives next door to where Kozar allegedly was hiding. She was asked to evacuate for her safety. She has a five-year-old son and was left uneasy Monday.

"It was awful," Currie said. "That was the most scared I've been in my entire life."

While community members may be alarmed, Koivunen said people have no reason to worry.

"It was for their protection," Koivunen said. "Everything worked out well. Everyone went home safe."